Jones, 32, had appeared in 14 Bundesliga matches and started a trio of Champions League games for Schalke this season but skipped the club's winter break trip to Qatar earlier this month to mull his future. Facing strong competition for minutes in central midfield, Jones ultimately facilitated the move to Besiktas, an Istanbul-based club that sits fifth in the Turkish Super Lig at 8-4-6.

The midfielder will be on loan until the end of the season, when his Schalke deal ends, with Besiktas carrying an option to purchase.

Jones has followed in the footsteps of USA teammates Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Maurice Edu (Philadelphia Union), Michael Parkhurst (Columbus Crew), Oguchi Onyewu (Sheffield Wednesday) and Juan Agudelo (Utrecht) by making a move for regular playing time leading into this summer's World Cup in Brazil.